Ticket-dispenser.



C. H. CRAWFORD. TICKET DISPENSER. 'APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 21. 1909..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

G. H. CRAWFORD. TICKET DISPENSER.

l APPLICATION FILED IAN. 2i. 1909. 4 955,385. Patented Apr. 19, 1910. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

Fi/*JZ g UNITED STATES PATENT oFuIoE- CARL H. CRAWFORD,`F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE AS- l SIGNMEN'TS, T0 MILLSNOVELTY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TICKET-DISPENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentednpr. 19, 1910.

Application led January 21, 1909. Serial No. 473,517.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HENRY CRAW- FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and 4useful Ticket-Dispenser,of which the follto the payment, to the cashier, of a pre.-

' scribed amount.

` features of `shown .in sectlon.

One object of the invention is the provi- "sion of a sub-dividingV mechanism for subdividing a strip of paper into single tickets, which mechanlsm is actuated by a feeding mechanism and is tripped into driven rela- Ition with the feeding mechanism by means 'I he invention has other objects whichA will be more fully set forth in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be `more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims. l

In thedrawingsz-Figure 1 is a side ele vation of .a machine embodying the main y invention, withthe casing Fig. 2 isa plan sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fi 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of t e mechanism. for throwing the machine out of gear.` Fig. 5 is a detail plan sectional View of the strip guide with the paper strip and a art ofthe throw-out mechanism shown in `ig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view-of the spindle inserted in the roll. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of i the ticket stri fFig. 8 is a side elevation of the knife guldeand support showing the `manner of supporting the lower stationary knife. ,Figa 9, is a detail sectional View of aiportion of the clutch and clutch lever. Like numerals o reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of thedrawings.

As shown 1 4designates the change shelf7 of a cashiers cage while the usual front vglass is indicated at 2 and the lower front wall at 3. The machine preferably includes a base 4 to which all of the bearingsof the operative parts are secured and which may be disposed upon or anchored to the change shelf 1 in any desired manner. A casing 5 surrounds the mechanism and may be se; cured to the base 4 in any desired manner.

An upright 6 is mounted on the base 4 land is slotted at- 7 tol receive a ticket roll spindle. The roll of tickets 8 is usually wound upon a paste-board core 9 and a roll spindle is provided having a conical central portion 10 and lateral trunnions 11 projecting therefrom. The ends of the body portions 10 engage the inside portions of vthe upright6 and the trunnions ll'iit in the slotted portion 7 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 ,and 3. y

A support is provided, for theticket roll to support the same in the upright 6 and as shown the 'support consists of a roller 12 mounted in an upright 13. As the roll 8 is unwound the roller 1 2 permits free rota# 80 tion ofthe roll 8 and the center of the roll 'gradually descends as the roll diminishes 1n size. The roller 12 is preferably disposed out of vertical alinement with'the roll spindle so'as to normally thrust the trunnions 11 in the direction of the arrow a, of Fig. 1, so as to produce a sufficient amount of drag to prevent the roll 8 from unwinding too freely. By this means I avoid the provision of springs and any part engaging the roll except the roller 12 and I also avoid the provision of any kind' of fastening means for the'spindle' in the upright 6.

The roll 8 consists, in the present embodiment, of a continuous strip of paper having a Width equal to the width 'of a single ticket and the separate tickets are preferably printed on the strip, and on both sidesV 'be notched on one side. The notches 14 are disposed along the outer margin of the strip at points equal to the length of a single ticket, or at such points as it is desired to sub-divide the strip into tickets of a predetermined length.

Feeding mechanism is provided and as shown the same is in the form of rollers and 16 mounted upon shafts 17 and 18 respectively. The ends of said shafts carry gears 19 and 20, respectively, and a bearing 21 is provided outside of said wheels. Said gears 19 and 2O insure rotation of the rollers 15 and 16 in unison. The opposite end of the shaft 18 is provided with a gear wheel 22 and is mounted in a bearing 23. An intermediate bearing 24 is provided for said shafts 17 and 18.

A ticket strip guide 25 is mounted upon a standard 26, at one end, which standard carries a roller 27 beneath which the strip passes to the guide 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The opposite end of said guide 25 is mounted upon a support 28 and said guide extends from the roller 27 to the feedA rolls 15 and 16. The' paper strip is inserted through the guide 25 in starting the machine,'until it reaches the feed rollers. kBetween the feed rollers and the sub-dividing mechanism there is a short guide 29 similar in cross-section to the guide 25, which guide 29 is supported at 29. As shown in Fig. 4 the guides 25 and 29 consist of flat plates having lateral margins 30 overhanging the strip so as to retain the same in place. As shown in Fig. 2 the overhanging margin extends rearwardly to a point indicated at 31. The guide is entirely open from the point 31 to the roller 27 so as to facilitate insertion of the strip when the roll is first put in and to facilitate withdrawal of the last ticket when the roll is exhausted, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The bottom of the guide 25 is provided with an opening 32 the purpose of which will hereinafter more fully appear. On one side the guide 25 is provided with a recess 33 through which the margin 34 of the strip projects and with which the notches 14 register when the strip is advanced in the guide 25. A bell crank lever is provided with a roller 36 which is held in the recess 33 by a spring 37, connected with said lever and with a suitable stationary part. lVhen the straight margins 34 of the strip are adjacent the recess 33 said margins hold the roller 36 outwardly from the recess 33, as shown in Fig. 2, but when the notches 14 register with the recess 33 the spring 37 draws the roller 36 into the recess as shown in Fig. 5. The lever 35 is pivoted on a support 38 at 39 and is provided with an upwardly projecting lug 4l. A trip arm 42 is also pivoted at 39 and is held in engagement with the lug 41 by a spring 43 interposed between lugs 44, and 45 on the lever 35. The spring 43 is an expansible spring and normally holds the arm 42 against the lug 41, in the position shown in Fig. 2, but permits movement of the trip arm 42 to the right. A clutch lever 46 is pivotally mounted at 47, to avsupport 48, and is provided With a. lug 49 which is engaged by the trip arm 42 to hold the lever 46 in the position shown in Fig. 2. When a notch in the ticket strip reaches therecess 33 it allows the roller 36 to reeede'therein, the movement of the bell crank lever 35, under the action of spring 37, acts through the lug 41 to shift the trip-arm 42 out of engagement with the lug 49 of lever 46. A spring 50 connected with the lever 46 swings the same toward the feed rolls as soon as the lug 49 is released and the trip arm 42 slides on the right hand side of the lug 49., as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The clutch lever 46 is connected with a clutch member 51 which is splined tothe shaft 18 and serves to throw said clutch member l51 int-o engagement with a clutch member 52 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 18.

A star wheel 53 is secured to the clutch member 52y and is providedwith pins 54 adapted for engagement with a lug 55 on the lever 46. A shaft 56, mounted in bearings 57 carries a rigidly secured arm 58 on the lowerend of which is a roller 59 which is engaged and operated by the star wheel. Knife arms 60 are rigidly secured to the shaft 58 and project forwardly through the knife 61. The knife 61 is provided'with an inclined cutting end 62 so as to afford a draw-cut and coperateswith a stationary knife 63. In order to maintain the knives 61 and 63 (which comprise the sub-dividing mechanism) in close engagement the knife 61 is so proportioned that the lower left hand corner 64 will be in engagement with the knife 63 when the knife 61 is in its upper position. The knife 61 extends into guides 65 which permit of reciprocation of the knife 6l by the arm 60 when the shaftl 66 is actuated by the star wheel through the arm 58. Thestar wheel 53 produces the downward cutting action while a spring 66 returns the knife to the position shown in Fig. 1. The parts are so arranged that when the point of one projecting portion of the star wheel has passed under the roller 59 a corresponding pin will have been advanced into engagement with the lug 55 and will have shifted the lever 46 to disengage the clutch members before the roller 59 engages the lowest point between the point projections, such pin having passed the lug 55. Reliance is placed upon the spring 66 to complete the right hand movement of the roller 59 into the lowest position of the star wheel so as to arrest the star wheelwhen the roller 59 has reached the position shown in Fig. 1, and thereby stop the knife 61 at the upper position. At such a time the clutch 45 is operated bythe. cashier to y actuate the notch 14 tri s the lever 35.'

members will be out of engagement and the spring` will serve to stop the star wheel. The outward movement of the clutch lever 46 by one of the pins 54 will move the lug 49 outwardly far enough to allow the spring 43 to flip the trip arm 42, from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the'position shown in Fig. 5. The knife cannot operate until the next It will thus be seen that w ile the knife is operated from the source of power applied tothe feeding a distance rearwardly from the knife equal to the length of one ticket.. It will'be clear from the foregoing that while the knife is driven from the shaft'of one of theJ feed rollers it is not necessarily driven in timed relation witl Athe'feed rollers as a longer ticket would require a greater rotation of the feed rollers to advance it to the knife than would a shorter ticket therefore the knife is driven in timed relation with the notches on the ticket strip. A counter 67 is disposed in said casingl and is provided with a bell 68 and a connection 69 with one of the knife arms 60 so vthat every time theknife is actuated to sub-divide the strip into a ticket lthe counter is operated and totals the number of tickets out.v An intermediate gear 70 is slidably mounted upon shaft 71, secured vin bearings 72 and 73, and meshes with gear -22.` A `crank gear 74 is mounted upon a shaft 75 having bearings 76 and 77.v Acrank 78 is secured to said shaft75 an`d gear'74. i

I will next describe how the machine is thrown out of gear when the roll 8 has been exhausted and the last ticket has reached. the

knife. A spring actuated arm 79 is mounted in bearings'SO and is rovided on its lower end with a foot 81fwh1ch rests on the paper strip as it is being fed or advanced throuoh the guide 25. The up er end of the--arm x79 is connected with a be l crank lever 82,` piv.- oted at 83 and provided with a fork 84 engag'ing the hub ofthe gear 70. Whenr the last ticket has reached the position shown Fig. 5 the lastl notch 14 permits the 'roller 36 to be swung inwardly so as to actuate the star wheel through the, clutch, heretofore described, and cut off the next to the last =ticket. Immediately 'thereafter'the end 85 of the last ticket will havebeen advancedl `of any from under the foot and the latter will i drop under the action of spring `86 thereb acting through the bell crank lever to shi t the gear out of mesh with the gear 74. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 the gear is 1n half mesh with the gear 74 so that when the gear 70 is thrown out of mesh withthe ear 74 it will still be in meslrwith gear 22.

It will thus ybe seen that it will be merely necessary for the operator to rengage the gear 70 with the gear 74 when the machine` is again started. y

In order to prevent the cashier from surreptitiously selling the last ticket after it has been removed from the machine I desire to mlitilate thelast ticket and, to this end a mutilator 87 is connected with the rod 79 7 0 is in full mesh with the 'gear 22 but so that when the foot drops thepmutilator will pass through the ticket and punch the same so as to indicate to the ticket taker that this ticket is void. It will be 'obvious that when the gear 70 has been thrown out of mesh with the gear74 itwill be impossible t'o further advance the `strip by reason of the fact that the crank L7 8 will rotate freely without ringing the register bell 68 or operating the knife and this will indicate tothe operator that the ticket roll has become eX- hausted. The casing 5 will then be re moved, the spindle and core raised upwardly out of the slot 7 .i A new roll will be inserted and then the operator will push the gear 70 into mesh with thel gear 74 thereby raising the rod 79 and with it' the foot and mutilator so that the end of the strip can be inserted beneath the roller v27 and the guide 25 and up to feed rollers 15 and 16. In inserting the strip the o erator will hold the arm 35 outwardly unt the notch at the intersection,

of the first and secondticket 'of the strip V has passed the wheel 36,. when the arm 35 will be released by the operator. The insertion of the strip in the guide 25 will support the foot 81 and hold the gear 70 in mesh with the gear 74 and the mutilator will be out of engagement with the strip by reason of the fact that it is somewhat 'elevated therefrom when the foot 81 is in the nominal po- A sition shown in Fig. 1. The machine will now be ready for` operation and the casing willbe re laced.:v The tickets will be delivfered `to t e purchaser through a chute 88.

the front glass 2 of the projecting through cashiers ca'ge.

The bellS eating to the cashier that one ticket has been delivered and therefore I avoid the provision kind of stop mechanism which would reduce the speed-with which *he tickets could be consecutively delivered. According tol the present construction ifa purchaser desiresten tickets the crank -must be rot ted continuously until the bell rin la corresponding number Aof times an thereby forms4 .inaudita signal indimeans for feeding the strip,

.the ticket stri saves a great deal'of time which is an important item at crowded periods. It wil-l also be noted that the knife cannot operate until the roller 36 has been thrust into a notch 14 and therefore it is not necessary for the cashier to stop the crank at a predetermined point as the knife will not operate as the result of any slight further rotation of the feed rol-ls an amount less than the length of a ticket.

It 'will be seen that the notched strip is advanced toward the knife by the feeding means to bring a notched portion of the strip in cutting alinement with thev knife,4 and that, at such time,'the knife is placed in operative relation with the feeding means so that if the operation of the feeding means is continued the knife will cut 0H a ticket at a notched I claim:`

l, A machine for dispensing tickets from a ticket strip comprising in combination, means for advancing or feeding the ticket strip, means for cutting or sub-dividing the strip into tickets, said last mentioned means being adapted for operation by the ticket feeding mechanism but being normally disconnected therefrom, and means cont-rolled by the ticket strip for operatively connecting the cutting mechanism vwith the strip feeding mechanism.

2. A machine for dispensing tickets from a ticket strip comprising in combination, on advancing the ticket strip, means for sub-dividing or cutting the strip into tickets, said last mentioned means being adapted for operation by the feeding mechanism but being normally disconnected therefrom, means controlled by the ticket strip for operatively connecting the cutting mechanism'with the .feeding mechanism to thereby cause a ticket to be severed from .l and means operating automatically to thereafter disconnect the feeding and cutting mechanisms.` A i 3. A machine for dispensing tickets from a previously notched ticket strip comprising in combination, means for advancing portion of the strip.

same, means or sub-dividin the strip into tickets, Nsaid last mentioned means being normally disconnected-from the feeding or advancing mechanism, for operatively connecting the ticket subdividing means with the strip advancing mechanism when a notched portion of the strip reaches a predetermined point in its travel.' y

4. A machine for dispensing tickets from a.\print-ed lstri comprising in combination, a pair of fee rollers, means for applying power thereto for advancing the strip, mechanism forsubdividing said strip into tickets,-

an element for driving said mechanism, a trip device controlled by the strip for throwand means for operating the and automatic means l l. I

vmutilating a portion of the ing said element into driving relation with the feed rollers to operate said mechanism, said element having means coperating with said device for throwing itself out of driven relation with saidl feed rollers.

5. A machine for dispensing tickets from a printed strip comprising in combination, feed rollers for advancing the strip, a knife for cutting the strip into tickets, an element oosely connected with one of said feed rollers for operating said knife, and a trip device controlled by the ticket strip for throwing said element into driven relation with one of said feed rollers, said element having means for throwing itself out of driven relation with said feed roller.

6. A machine for dispensing tickets from a printed strip comprising in combination, feed rollers for advancing the strip, a knife for cutting the strip into tickets, a star wheel loosely connected with` one of said feed rollers, a lever operatively connecting said knife and star wheel andprovided with a roller engaging the points of the latter, a trip device controlled by the ticket strip for throwing said star wheel into driven relation with said feed rollers to operate said knife, pins disposed on said star wheel for engaging said trip device and throwing the star wheel out of driven relation with said feed rollers, and a spring connected with said lever for insuring stoppage of the star wheel at a predetermined point.

7. A machine for dispensing tickets from a printed ticket strip comprising in combination, feeding means for advancing the strip, mechanism for subdividing the strip into tickets, instrumentalities controlled by the ticket strip for placing said mechanism in driven relation with said feeding means, and a device controlled by the ticket strip for rendering the machine inoperative.

. 8. A machine for dispensing tickets from a printed ticket strip comprising in combination, feeding means for advancing the strip, mechanism for subdividing the' strip into tickets, instrumentalities controlled by the ticket strip for placing said mechanism in driven relation with said feeding means, and a device controlled by the ticket strip for rendering the lmachine inoperative and strip. 9. A machine for dispensing tickets from a' printed strip comprising in combination,

v feeding means for advancing the strip, mechanism for subdividing the strip into tickets, instrumentalities controlled by the ticket strip for placingsaid mechanism in driven relation with said feeding means, and a device controlled by the tickct'strip for mutilating a portion thereof.

10. A machine foridispensing tickets from rolled strip comprising in combination, means for advancing the strip, mechanism for subdividing the strip into tickets, a U- -wheel for said feeding means, an intermeby the ticket strip for thrusting said interstrip, mechanism for; subldividing the strip mechanism for sub-divi ing the strip into advancing the strip, a knife for sub-dividing necting the knife operating mechanism. with diate gear-in fullmesh Withsaid irstmentioned gear, a crank gear in half mesh With said intermediate gear, and means controlled mediate gear out ofmesh with said crank gear and partly out of mesh With said `feeding means gear to render the machine in operative.

1 2. A machine forjdispensing'tickets from a previously notched ticket stripcomprising in combination, means foradvancing the into tickets, said sub-dividing mechanism being normally out of driven relation with thestrip advancing means, and a device for au-f tomatically placing saidsub-dividing mechfL anism into 'driven relation with the -advanc-j ing means vvhen a notched portion of the ticket strip reaches a predetermined-point in its travel.

13. A machine for dispensingticketsfroma previously notched ticket strlp comprising in combination,` means' for advancing the strip and means for o erati'ng the same,

tickets, said sub-dividin mechanism being, normally disconnected om the strip advancing means, and. a device for automatically placing said sub-dividing mechanismin driven relation with said feeding or'advanc-` ing means Whenever a notched portion of the ticket strip reachesa predetermined point in the travel of the strip.l H,

14. A machine lfor dis ensing tickets from a previously notched Vticket str1p,means for the strip into tickets, meas for operating said knife, said operating meansl bem normally disconnected from-Ythe strip. avan cv ing means, and means for operatively conv the` strip advancmg means whenever a notched portion' of the ticket stripv reaches' a predetermined pointfin its travel. l

. 15. A machine for dispensing tickets a ticket strip previously provided Witlimar;

ginal notches spaced apart frompeach other; l equal to the length of the tickets to be cut, a

knife for cutting the stipsinto tickets having Aknife Aoperating mechanism, feeding means for advancing the strip toward said knifeto fp osition a notchedportion of the -strip cutting alinement therew-ith, and a 65 device controlled by the ticket strip y,for placing said knife operating mechamsm in operative relation with said feeding means when a notched portion of tle strip is in cutting alinement with said knife.

1 6. A machine for dispensing tickets from a ticket strip previously provided WithmarginalV notches spaced apart from each other equal to the length of the'tickets to be fout; a knife for cuttingthe strip into tickets 75 and provided with knife operating meenam' ism, -means for advancing the strip toward said knife to position a-notched portion of the strip. in..cutting alinement Withysaid' knife, and mechanism iop rating automatic- 8 0 ally for placingthe .kni operating mechanism in operative relation with the-advanc- Aing means when a notched portion ofthe.

strip is in cuttingalinement with said knife.

the length of the ticketsto be cut,` a'knife for severing the strip at its notched portions into' tickets-and provided with actuating 90 mechanism, -v strip feeding means for advancing the ,strip to bring al notched portion of the stripin cutting allnement with the knife, and means operating automatically to operatively connect the'knife actuating andv strip 95 I feedin mechanisms whenever a notched portion o the ticket strip is "brought into. aline ment With said knife.

` 18. A machin for dis ensing tickets-fromv I a previously notched tic et strip comprising 100 in combination', an operating handle, strip feeding mechanism controlledby said han-A dle, mechanism for, sub-dividing the strip into tickets, said sub-dividing mechanism beinggnormally disconnected'from said handle,` 105 and means voperating automatically to conneet the sub-dividing mechanism with theV operating. handle whenever a notched) portlon of Athe strip v reaches a predetermined point in its travel.

' l CARLH. CRAWFORD.

A machine for dispensing .tickets from a strip previously provided with marginal notches spaced'part from each other equal to 

